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News About Tech, Money and InnovationSun, 02 Aug 2015 19:00:51 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Copyright 2015, VentureBeatElectric aircraft are on the way: Stylish Airbus plane makes its first flighthttp://venturebeat.com/2014/05/10/electric-aircraft-are-on-the-way-stylish-airbus-plane-makes-its-first-flight/
http://venturebeat.com/2014/05/10/electric-aircraft-are-on-the-way-stylish-airbus-plane-makes-its-first-flight/#commentsSat, 10 May 2014 22:03:56 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=1470375While electric vehicles are gaining popularity in the automotive world, the aviation industry is also looking into ways to clean up its act. French firm Airbus is best known for its large passenger jets — including the double-deck Airbus A380 — but its latest project is rather smaller. The E-FAN is a small experimental aircraft […]
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While electric vehicles are gaining popularity in the automotive world, the aviation industry is also looking into ways to clean up its act.

French firm Airbus is best known for its large passenger jets — including the double-deck Airbus A380 — but its latest project is rather smaller.

The E-FAN is a small experimental aircraft powered entirely by electricity.

It’s small, much quieter than a typical combustion-engined light aircraft, and cuts the cost of an hour-long flight from around $55 to just $16 — so it has the same economic benefits as its electric road-going cousins.

According to Inhabitat, it uses 120 lithium-ion polymer battery cells. These are stored in the wings, freeing up space in the cabin, while propulsion is handled by two electric ducted fans mounted either side of the tail.

Each of these develops around 30 kilowatts, so the aircraft’s combined power output is around 80 horsepower, enough for a 136 mph top speed.

Endurance is currently around 30 minutes, but Airbus hopes to extend that to over an hour. That will limit it to shorter flights for the time being, but even light aircraft can cover quite a distance without traffic to encumber them, so that’s not as bad as it sounds.

Airbus intends to expand the E-FAN’s development into 2.0 and 4.0-generation aircraft, the latter using a hybrid system. The eventual aim is to expand electric power into wider commercial flight–curtailing the sector’s sizeable emissions contribution.

It’s certainly an interesting development and a striking aircraft, but we’ve already discovered one problem with future electric aviation.

With aircraft so quiet, companies insist on overlaying the wonderful silence of electric flight videos with annoying background music.

]]>0Electric aircraft are on the way: Stylish Airbus plane makes its first flightLithium-ion batteries may be banned from some airplanes’ cargo after Boeing 787 fires (updated)http://venturebeat.com/2013/01/19/british-airways-may-be-banning-laptops-phones-and-other-lithium-ion-battery-devices-after-boeing-787-fires/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/01/19/british-airways-may-be-banning-laptops-phones-and-other-lithium-ion-battery-devices-after-boeing-787-fires/#commentsSun, 20 Jan 2013 07:23:03 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=607383Starting Monday, lithium-ion batteries -- the same kind used in your laptop -- won't be allowed in the cargo holds of some international flights.
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CORRECTION 1/20/2013: An earlier version of this story stated that batteries would be banned from all flights, including within carryon luggage. This is not correct. It appears that the ban only affects cargo. This story has been updated to reflect new information.

Just a few days ago, flights across the globe were canceled as concerns mounted over a January 7 fire in a Boeing 787 at Boston’s Logan International Airport. The fire was caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries built in to the plane. Now it appears that the International Air Transport Association, a trade organization, wants to ban shipment of such batteries in the cargo of Cathay Pacific flights, according to one expert.

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“I received an IATA notification yesterday saying that Cathay Pacific is stopping all shipments of lithium-ion and lithium batteries on cargo aircraft,” battery quality assurance expert Kevin Elsdon told me tonight. “And then another one saying that British Airways was banning the shipment and carrying of lithium and lithium-ion batteries, period.”

Unfortunately, just about any electronic device you carry and use — your computer, your tablet, and your phone — uses a lithium-ion battery.

Section on IATA statement added 1/20: From reading a recent IATA statement, it appears the ban may apply only to batteries in cargo, and not batteries carried by passengers in devices such as tablets, phones and other computers — or even as spares. Here is the relevant text from that document; see bold (which we’ve added) for the part about how the prohibition does not apply to batteries contained in “equipment”:

. Lithium metal cells and batteries are prohibited from carriage as cargo on Cathay Pacific Airways passenger and cargo aircraft. This applies to Section IA, IB and Section II of Packing Instruction 968. This prohibition does not apply to: • lithium metal cells and batteries packed with or contained in equipment (UN 3091) in accordance with PI 969 and PI 970 and lithium ion cells and batteries (UN 3480 and UN 3481) in accordance with PI 965 to PI 967; or • lithium batteries (rechargeable and non-rechargeable) covered by the Provisions for Dangerous Goods Carried by Passengers or Crew (see 2.3.2 to 2.3.5 and Table 2.3.A)

Also, this cargo ban seems to be limited to Cathay Pacific flights. The statement, originally published in December, is edited in yellow, with no specific date — thus adding to confusion about whether this is the latest version of the document.

Moreover, if you check the aforementioned “Provisions for Dangerous Goods Carried by Passengers or Crew,” you’ll find the reference to spare lithium batteries being allowed as carry-on as well. VentureBeat hasn’t found any statement yet that suggests this has changed. Here is the key wording from those provisions:

You may have “Lithium ion battery powered equipment containing batteries over 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh.” as carry-on, in checked-baggage, and on ones person.

You may have “Spare lithium ion batteries with a Watt-hour rating exceeding 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh for consumer electronic devices. Maximum of two spare batteries may be carried in carry-on baggage only. These batteries must be individually protected to prevent short circuits.” Note that these are not permitted in checked baggage.

IATA is the International Air Transport Association, the trade association for most of the world’s airlines. IATA sends out bulletins regarding policy changes and updates for its member airlines to companies which manufacture, handle, and ship hazardous materials, one of which Elsdon works for. He asked that the name of the company not be revealed, as its client list includes defense agencies.

Above: Better hope the in-flight movie doesn’t suck

“We’re taking that announcement to mean that you cannot carry on any device that uses lithium or lithium-ion batteries, period,” Elsdon told me. “Cathay Pacific’s announcement was specific to their cargo aircraft, but British Airways and a couple other airlines simply will not permit any of these devices on their airplanes … they just did a carte blanche announcement and are not going to allow these devices on their aircraft.”

However, a British Airways PR representative that I contacted said there has been no change to airline policy regarding smartphones, tablets, or laptops, and asked to see the IATA notification. The representative did say that it was conceivable that a change had been made to British Airways’ cargo-carrying regulations — in addition to its passenger service, the company runs IAG Cargo, a commercial cargo shipping service — but had no personal knowledge of any changes as of early Sunday morning.

But in any case, “that is entirely separate,” the representative told me.

Elsdon had posted on Facebook that the ban would mean no iPads, no smartphones, and no laptop computers. In other words, it would be complete reversal of the last decade of in-flight electronics policy. And a recipe for very, very long flights, not to mention irate customers.

VentureBeat is still attempting to verify the latest version of the IATA bulletin.

The Boeing 787 fire at Logan International was probably caused by an overcharge event in the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries that power the plane’s electrical systems when on the ground. This is the first time that lithium-ion batteries have ever been used in a commercial aircraft, according to the battery manufacturer’s website. Overcharging any battery can cause overheating or even fires, but batteries are supposed to be designed with safety circuits containing an over-voltage cutoff. Somehow, apparently, that got missed in this battery.

Not all airlines — even cargo airlines — are adopting the new procedures. Fedex is the largest dangerous goods shipper in the world, and that company has no plans to change its rules.

“I talked to the head of their dangerous goods division and he shrugged this shoulders, says ‘I guess that means more money for us,'” Elsdon said.

And while it’s likely that any ban would be revised at some point, some people may be caught in the crossfire:

“My dad is back in England at a funeral,” Elsdon told me. “He has his laptop and iPhone, and I’m hoping he’ll be able to get them home.”

That said, lithium-ion batteries are in just about everything we use, and are safe when designed and treated well.

“This is what I call a knee-jerk reaction from the airport authority,” Elsdon told me. “The amount of incidents is very small, and 90 percent of them are caused by the people loading them on the aircraft. There are only a very few cases where it’s actually happened in a laptop.”

VentureBeat has contacted IATA and British Airways for additional comment.

]]>0Lithium-ion batteries may be banned from some airplanes’ cargo after Boeing 787 fires (updated)The U.S. Army is creating the helicopters of the futurehttp://venturebeat.com/2011/12/16/new-army-helicopter/
http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/16/new-army-helicopter/#commentsFri, 16 Dec 2011 23:34:42 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=366536The Pentagon and the U.S. army are showing off some fancy new equipment in the form of a next-generation helicopter. These gadgets-in-the-sky will include integrated sensors, faster speeds, automatic “pilotless” flights, better countermeasures and lower overall costs. The military is looking at a 2018 timeframe, according to Dave Weller, the science and technology program manager […]
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The Pentagon and the U.S. army are showing off some fancy new equipment in the form of a next-generation helicopter.

The military is looking at a 2018 timeframe, according to Dave Weller, the science and technology program manager for the Aviation Program Executive Office. The Army is looking toward a demo craft in 2013 and test flights taking off in 2017.

Here are some specifics the military is aiming for with these new air vehicles:

Teaming of manned and unmanned aircraft, including remote control from inside the manned craft

Automatic avoidance of obstacles using sensors

Hovering and pivoting with tilt-rotor aircraft technology

Diagnostic sensors to streamline repairs

Except for the high-speed targeting functions, it sounds a lot like a soccer mom’s Audi: super intelligent, loaded with sensors, and practically (or in some cases, actually) able to drive itself.

“Overall, what we are trying to do is look at a range of solutions such as radar, electro-optical equipment, lasers, sensors, software, avionics and communications equipment and see what the right architecture is and how we would integrate all these things together,” said Systems Integration Division chief Ray Wall Ray Wall in a statement.

Several military personnel stated the Army has approached the future ‘copters with capabilities in mind rather than solutions to specific problems; as a couple representatives noted, the Army is, at this point, looking to the aviation and defense industries for solutions to the problems it is experiencing.